It's hard to imagine that anyone other than Mary Pickford could steal a movie from Douglas Fairbanks, but that's precisely what Australian-born actor, George Beranger, does in Flirting With Fate – partly because Beranger's role creates more audience interest, partly because Fairbanks' character is far from heroic, and partly because the script written by Robert M. Baker and director Christy Cabanne provides Beranger with so many golden opportunities which the actor is deft enough to take full advantage of. In fact, it's not until Beranger appears on the scene that the movie gains the audience's full interest. The role of a throwing-in-the-towel artist doesn't really suit Fairbanks, although he certainly does make a convincing job of it. In fact, Fairbanks tends to make his loser a bit too convincing, but he had no choice. That's the way the script had to be written otherwise the character's deep desire to throw in the towel wouldn't make any sense. Fairbanks was still feeling his way towards the daring, never-say-die character he was soon to portray in almost all of his later movies. On the other hand, director Christy Cabanne does a first-class job here. Yes, as a director, the steadily prolific Cabanne started right at the top and gradually worked his way right down to Monogram before he retired in 1948. Flirting With Fate is available on a very watchable Alpha DVD. I enjoyed the bonus short, Screen Actors, too!
Review of Flirting with Fate
